A LATTER DAY APOSTASY By Apostle William A. Sheldon Published by The Board of Publications Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Box 472 Independence, Missouri A LATTER DAY APOSTASY The carnal disposition of mankind, seeking to improve upon God's plans for the Church of Christ, prevails in the latter days even as in ancient times, including the New Testament Church. "How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!" Lamentations 4: 1. Structural innovations in the church restored through Joseph Smith and others began at a much earlier time than is generally supposed. Of course, they are not considered to be innovations by the dominant bodies which have developed from the little body of 1829-30. Such is the course of trusting in the arm of flesh, rather than an implicit faith in the doctrine and callings of God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. A significant indication as to the development of a latter day apostasy is revealed through the prophet Jeremiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert (a naked tree/marginal reference at Jer. 48:6, w.a.s.), and shall not see when good cometh; but shall in;. habit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited" Jer. 17:5,6. Further, he said: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their -5 A LATTER DAY APOSTASY means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" Jer. 5:30, 31. Thankfully, the latter day apostasy will not be a complete departure from the faith so as to cause God to totally reject the church as in ancient times. This is revealed in the second chapter of Daniel, who prophesied of a stone being cut out of a mountain without hands which would eventually become a great mountain to fill the whole earth (see vs. 34, 35). This stone was to be the kingdom of God which is to stand forever. It was brought about through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith as a modern prophet and seer, laying the groundwork for the Church of Christ organized in 1830. There came to be so great a trust in Joseph Smith as a prophet of God that they failed to do as did our worthy brethren in ancient Beria: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" Acts 17:11. Neither did some of our forbears consider the Lord's admonition through his prophet Isaiah: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" Isa. 8:20. Most certainly, the law to which we are committed is the gospel of Christ as found in the New Testament of the Bible; and the testimony to that gospel is provided in the teachings of the Book of Mormon. If they (whoever professes to advance the -6 A LATTER DAY APOSTASY kingdom of Christ) are not found to be in harmony with those two records, there is no light in them; the light is clouded by doctrines not of God. Nephi saw the general corruption of the churches in the last day, and we are not amiss in seeing it revealed in the latter day Restoration faith, as well. "Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach.. .false, and vain, and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark; and the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them. Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted. Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted; and their churches are lifted up; because of pride, they are puffed up. They rob the poor, because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor, because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek, and the poor in heart; because in their pride, they are puffed up. They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray, save it be a few, which are the humble followers of Christ; Nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err, because they are taught by the precepts of men" 2 Ne. 12:12-17, Independence Edition; LDS 2 Ne. 28:9-14. With these views relative to a latter day apostasy, we submit the following items which do not accord with the standard as found in the Bible and Book of Mormon: -7 A LATTER DAY APOSTASY PRIESTHOOD STRUCTURE (The Ministry) (1) A first presidency of one or more above the twelve apostles, and over the Church. (This would provide for a spiritual dictatorship, just as with the papacy). "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets..." 1 Cor. 12:28. (2) High Priest, an ordained office, placed above the Elders. (An Elder is a high priest because he holds the high priesthood, or the Melchisedec priesthood, the priesthood after the order of the Son of God, but he is not ordained a High Priest; he is ordained an Elder-see Alma 9:69-73; 10:1-7.) (3) Patriarch, to give patriarchal blessings. (An ordained office not found in the New Testament Church, neither the Book of Mormon Nephite Church.) Out of these has risen the several priesthood orders or councils with their respective presidencies; a hierarchical multiplication of ministerial function and exaltation. DOCTRINAL INNOVATIONS (1) God was once a man as we are, having a body of flesh and bone. Christ became a man, and was created in the image of His Father in heaven; yet his pre-existence was in a spirit form, just as he appeared to the brother of Jared, long before his appearance in the flesh. -8 A LATTER DAY APOSTASY "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" John 4:24. "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Num. 23:19. "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" Mal. 3:6. (2) Heavenly Mother. This concept has not a shred of scriptural evidence, and is only based on the above assumption of God having flesh, and that the creation process of man must have been a sexual relationship. (3) Men to become gods. God has all power; is a creator; is worthy of worship. Not so with men. We may become gods only in the sense of attaining to eternal life, of living forevermore, as children of God. (See Ps. 82:6 and John 10:34.) (4) Baptism for the dead. This is only referenced in 1 Cor. 15:28, which does not support it as a. doctrine of Christ. Some of them at Corinth practiced it, but did not believe in the resurrection; hence, a foolish, vain doctrine. Baptism is a personal commitment to Christ, ruling out a proxy baptism. The command of Christ for baptism of men applies only to those who hear the gospel, and can make choices for themselves; little children and they who are without the law are excepted-see Moroni 8:25-27; LDS Moroni 8:22,23. (5) Celestial Marriage; Marriage For Time And Eternity. When the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus as to marriage during the resurrection, He said: "...in the resurrection they neither marry nor -9 A LATTER DAY APOSTASY are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" [Matt. 22:30]. Angels are unmarried; therefore, in the resurrection, mankind will not be in the marriage state. The contention that the marriage may be performed in mortality and extending to the immortal state is of human conception. (6) Polygamy, or Plural Marriage. The Book of Mormon plainly declares it an abomination in God's sight [Jac. 2:33 and AI. 5:35; LDS Jac. 2:24 & AI. 7:20]. By this last text, God will not consider something an abomination at one time and it not be so at another time. The fact of Jacob [for instance] and his sons having more than one wife was a matter of their ignorance. He blessed them in spite of their error, not because of it; and nowhere in the Bible or Book of Mormon is there commandment permitting it. God, raising a righteous seed, comes by obedience to His word, and not because of sexual relations [see Mos. 8:38-43; LDS Mos. 15:10-11]. (7) Lineal Priesthood. It is only in regard to the Mosaic Law that lineal priesthood is a factor. This was changed under the Gospel Law as we find in Heb. 7: 12: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also in the law." The Melchisedec Priesthood was re-instituted with the advent of Christ (ibid., vs.